Automatic car coupler



AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLER Filed May 17. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors Junel2, 1934.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLER Filed May 17. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gmwmtoz 54 @fscf... T. JOHNSON Er AL 1,962,563

Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE lumbus, Ohio,assignors Columbus, Ohio Castings Company,

to The Buckeye Steel Application May 17, 1929, serial No. 363,759 7Claims. (Cl. 213-422) This invention relates to improvements inautomatic car couplers. Such couplers usually include a coupler head, aknuckle pivotally mounted on the head and provided with a tail, avertically slidable lock adapted to engage the tail for holding theknuckle in closed position, and means for raising the lock. The presentinvention is directed specifically to improvements in the lock raisingmeans, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a couplerof this character, including a lock lifter which may be removablyconnected to the lock when the latter is in a certain position, andbefore the knuckle has been pivotally connected to the coupler head, theconnection of the lifter with the lock being such, and the parts beingso arranged that ater the knuckle is pivotally mounted on the couplerhead, the lifter cannot be detached from the lock without first removingthe knuckle from the coupler head.

A further object is to provide a construction of thistype, in which thecross section of the lifter varies in such a way that when the lock isin its highest position, the lifter may be turned through a slot in thetop of the coupler head, for the purpose of connecting the lifter to thelock, but when the lock is slightly lowered, the cross section of thelifter at the place where the slot occurs, will be too` thick to allowthe lifter to be rotated in a reverse direction, with a view ofdetaching the lifter from the lock.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view whichwill appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated intheaccompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims. I`

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the upper part of the coupler head withthe lifter extending into the look but shown in the positon which itoccupies before the lifter is turned 90 degrees for interlocking thelower end of the lifter with the lock.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the coupler head before the knuckle hasbeen attached thereto, and showing the lifter after the latter has beenturned 90 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 1, in order tointerlock the lifter with the upper end of the lock.

Fig. 3 is a side withoertain parts broken away `to facilitate disclosureof the invention, and with the lock and lifter shown in the highestpositions they can view of the complete assembly,v

reach, after the knuckle has been connected to the coupler head.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 3, andillustrating the manner in which the tail o the knuckle functions toprevent the lock from rising beyond a predetermined elevation after theparts have been assembled.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the complete as sembly, but showing thelock in its lowermost or locking position.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, withthe lifter removed.

Fig. l is a side elevation of the lifter.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the lifter, but taken at a point removed 90dgrees from that on which Fig. 7 is taken.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of the lifter on the line 9--9 ofFig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the lifter.

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view, supposedly taken on the line C-C of Fig.8, to illustrate how the portion of the smaller cross section of thelifter may be rotated in the slot.

Fig. 13 is a similar view, supposedly taken on the line D--D of Fig. 8,and sho-Wing how a thicker portion at a higher point on the lifter isprevented from rotating in the slot.

Fig. 14 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the lock.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the samer, partly in vertical section,the section being taken on line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a top plan view of the lock.

In the drawings, 20 designates a coupler head which has its front wallslotted as shown at 21, to permit a vertically slidable lock 22 to beinserted into a vertical guideway 23, within the coupler head. The headis also provided with apertuled ears 24 which receive the pin 25employed in pivotally connecting the knuckle 26 to the head.

When the parts are assembled, a tail 27 of the knuckle is insertedthrough the opening 21, into the head, and this tail in the opening andclosing movements of the knuckle, travels in a hollow lateral extension28 of the head. From Fig. 6, it may be seen that the knuckle has anabutment surface 29 adapted to engage a similar surface 30 on thecoupler head, to limit the opening movement of the knuckle.

The tail 27 works in a notch 31 of the lock, and as the under side ofthe edge portion of the tail is inclined from its front end 32 to itsextremity V33, it may be seen from Fig. 3 that when vertical the lock 22is raised, an inclined nose 34 on the lower end of the lock willcooperate with the tail for the purpose of swinging the knuckle intoopen position.

The parts 20 to 34 inclusive are of more or less conventionalconstruction, and the present improvements are concerned particularlywith the lifting of the lock. To this purpose, the head of the lock, asbest shown in Figs. 14 and 15, is provided with a cavity indicatedgenerally by the reference character 35. The walls of this cavity areshaped in a particular manner, to provide an entrance slot 36 and a pairof segmental recesses 37. These recesses are oppositely disposed, andthe top portion of each recess terminates in a semi-cylindrical orarcshaped abutment 38. This special formation is provided to allow thelower end of the lock lifter 39 to be inserted through the slot 36, intothe cavity 35, and then be turned. 90 degrees in order to bringtrunnions 40 at the lower end of the lifter, into engagement with thesemi-cylindri cal abutments 38 of the recesses 37. In order that thisfeature of the invention may be more clearly understood, reference ismade to Figs. 7 to 13 inclusive. From Figs. 7 and 8, it will be notedthat the body of the lifter 39 is substantially an I-section with a loopor eye 4l on the upper end, for the purpose of joining the lifter to theoperating rod (not shown). The portion 42 of the lifter, as shown inFig. 8, between section A-A and B-B gradually changes from an I-sectionto a circular section. The importance of the outline of this portion 42will be explained later. The lower end portion 43 of the lifter is ofcircular section, and provided with the diametrically oppositelyextending trunnions 40, heretofore referred to.

At this point it will be noted that the slot 44 in the top of thecoupler head, through which the lifter is inserted, is of rectangularformation, and only slightly larger than the limits of the body of thelifter 39. The head of the lock 22 is, of course, too large to passthrough the slot 44.

The main body of the lock 22 is practically the same as the locksheretofore known, the only difference being in the cavity 35 with itsentrance slot 36, segmental recesses 37 and abutments 38, which receivethe lower end of the lifter 39. The slot 36, as best shown in Fig. 16,is rectangular in plan, and the lower portion of the cavity 35 formed bythe recesses 37 is cylindrical, except for the lugs 45 which permit thelifter to be applied only one certain way. As before stated, theabutments 38 are provided tortake the trunnions 40 of the lifter.

'Io assemble the coupler, the lock 22 is introduced through the opening21 into the vertical guideway 23, and raised to its highest position, asshown in Fig. 1. The lower end of the lifter 39 is then inserted throughthe slot 44 in the top of the coupler head, until it rests on the floor46 of the opening in the head of the lock. Then the lifter is turned 90degrees in a clockwise direction (see Fig. 16), and the lock allowed todrop, so as to engage the trunnions 40 of the lifter with the abutment38 of the lock. At this point it will be observed that the lugs 45 inthe head of the lock, prevent the trunnions from turning in the wrongdirection while the parts are being assembled.

Now the knuckle 26 is secured to the head by the pin 25, and the tail ofthe knuckle projects over the nose 34 of the lock, so that the lock canno longer be raised unless the knuckle head. Y

When the lock is in its highest position, the lower portion of the part42 of the lifter occupies the slot 44, as indicated in Figs. 8 and l2,and at such time, the lifter can be readily turned in the slot 44, dueto the fact that the thickness of the part 42 at this elevation, is lessthan the width of the slot. However, after the parts are assembled, thelock cannot be lifted any higher than the position indicated by X inFig. 3, and at this time, the upper portion of the part 42 of the lifterwill be occupying the slot 44. As indicated in Fig. 13, and by the lineD-D in Fig. 8, the lifter cannot be removed at such time, because thediagonal thickness of the lifter, when the trunnions 40 are low enoughto clear the abutments 38, is greater than the width of the slot 44, sothat the lifter can no longer be turned in the slot 44. Therefore, thereis no danger of the lifter becoming dis-engaged from the lock, and thereis no danger of theft, unless the coupler is completely dismantled.

When the lock is in locked position, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, itoccupies a position between the tail of the knuckle and a wall 47 of thelock guideway 23, and is located at the lower` end of its guideway.Consequently, the eye 4l of the lifter rests on the top of the couplerhead, and retains the trunnions 40 in engagement with the abutments 38in the lock.

From the foregoing it will be understood that when the knuckle 26 hasbeen placed and its pivot pin 25 inserted, as shown in Fig. 3, the lock22 cannot rise above the position X in Fig. 3, because of the contactbetween the part 48 of the knuckle and the inclined surface of the nose34 of the lock. For example, when the knuckle is in open position, asshown in Fig. 4, the lock cannot be lifted to its highest position, asin Fig. 2, because of the contact with the knuckle tail, as indicated atZ in Fig. 4.

On closing the knuckle, the lock drops to the position shown in Fig. 5,filling the space between the knuckle tail and the coupler wall 47, andpreventing the knuckle from opening, as best shown in Fig. 6 until thelock is lifted.

The terms and expressions employed herein are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalentsof the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it isrecognized that various structural modifications are possible within thescope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a car coupler, a coupler head, a knuckle movably mounted on thehead, a lock for securing the knuckle in closed position, means in thehead for guiding the lock in a substantially vertical rectilinear path,a lifter, and connecting means for interlocking the lifter with saidlock, the lifter being capable of disconnection from the lock by arotary movement of the lifter about its long axis relatively to the lockafter the latter has reached its uppermost position, and means includingsaid knuckle for preventing disconnection of the lifter from the lockwhen the latter is in other positions.

2. In a car coupler, a coupler head, a knuckle movably mounted on thehead, a lock for securing the knuckle in closed position, a lifter, andconto its highest position, is removed from the coupler necting meansfor interlocking the lifter with said lock, the lifter being capable ofdisconnection from the lock by a rotary movement of the lifter about itslong axis relatively to the lock, after the latter has reached a certainposition, said knuckle preventing the lock from moving to such positionwhen the parts are completely assembled.

3. In a car coupler, a coupler head, a movable knuckle mounted on thehead, a lock cooperating with the knuckle for securing the latter inclosed position, means forming part of the head for guiding the lock ina substantially vertical path, a lifter extending through the top of thecouplei` head, and means connecting the lifter to said lock, the lifterbeing capable of attachment to or detachment from the lock by a rotarymovement of the lifter about its long axis relatively to the lock, afterthe latter has reached its uppermost position, the knuckle cooperatingwith the lock to prevent the lock from moving intot said position afterthe parts are assembled, and the knuckle being removable from the headto permit the lock to reach said position.

4. In a car coupler, a coupler head, a movable knuckle mounted on thehead, a lock cooperating with the knuckle for securing the latter inclosed position, said lock being guided against rotation relative to thecoupler head in all vertical positions, a lifter extending through thetop of the coupler head, and means connecting the lifter to said lock,the lifter being capable of attachment to or detachment from the lock bya rotary movement of the lifter about its long axis relatively to thelock, after the latter has reached its uppermost position, the couplerhead and lifter being provided With abutment surfaces for preventingsuch relative movement between the lifter and the lock, when the lock isin any other position, the knuckle being removable from the head, saidlock being capable of reaching said uppermost position after the knucklehas been removed.

5. In a car coupler, a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mounted on thehead and provided with a tail, a lock movably mounted in the head andcooperating With the tail for securing the knuckle in closed position, alifter for the lock, and means detachably connecting the lifter to thelock, the lifter being capable of disconnection from the lock when thelifter is turned about its long axis, while the lock is in one of itsextreme positions, the tail of the knuckle preventing the lock fromreaching such position after the parts are assembled, the knuckle beingremovable to permit the lock to reach said extreme position.

6. In a car coupler, a coupler head provided with a slot, a verticallyslidable lock arranged in the head, said lock being guided againstrotation relative to the coupler head in all vertical positions, alifter. extending through said slot, and means detachably connecting thelifter to the top of the lock, the lifter being capable of detachmentfrom the lock by a rotary movement of the lifter about its long axisrelatively toy the lock, the lifter and slot cooperatingto prevent suchrelative movement until the lock hasl been placed in its uppermostposition.

7. A car coupler including a coupler head having a slot therein, alifter extending through said slot and having trunnions at its inner endand connection means at its outer end, the part of the lifter betweenthe trunnions and said connection means having portions of varying crosssection, the portion adjacent to the trunnions being less in width andthickness than the Width of said slot and the remaining portion beinggreater in Width and thickness than the Width of said slot to preventthe lifter from being turned in the slot except when the lifter is inits outermost position.

GEORGE T. JOHNSON. GEORGE M. MURPHY.

